Pages

I think I'm paranoid. When Bria is awake and kicking about, I wish she would just fall asleep. She hasn't slept much since yesterday. And she woke up every hour (again) last night. According to my research, babies are supposed to sleep at least 16-18 hours a day. My baby didn't even sleep for 4 hours over the past 2 days!

Then, when she is finally asleep and lying so still, I start to worry if she is still breathing. Sometimes, I will even try to wake her up by changing her diaper etc. Just so that I can see her "come alive", even if it means she starts crying. Yes, i know.. So silly right..

I've been trying to teach Bria the difference between day and night so that she can establish "normal" sleep patterns. So for the whole day yesterday, i did not take my afternoon nap. And I did not let Bria sleep much. I kept disturbing her, playing with her and tickling her, and purposely turning on the TV loud. All these with the hope that she will be so tired at night that she will sleep at least for a stretch of 4 hours. But she didn't. And this morning, she was still so alert and active.. What a strange baby.. Sigh.. = )

K and I brought Bria to the doctor on Christmas Eve.. She hasn't been sleeping much for the past 2 days before Christmas Eve, plus her diaper rashes had developed into blisters and we suspect that was the cause of her insomnia.. And because it was Christmas Eve and most clinics were open for half a day, we ended up driving all the way to Bishan cause it was the only clinic we could find that was still open in the evening.

The doctor gave us some cream and bath lotion for Bria's diaper blisters, and some syrup to help her sleep. Apparently, the diaper blisters were caused by us not cleaning her diaper area thoroughly enough. We spent $85 for the consultation plus medication. Ever since then, C and I have been using the cream and lotion every day religiously, and changing her diaper very frequently. I have also adopted the practice of airing Bria's diaper area every day for a few minutes. Now, the rashes and blisters have all disappeared.

On Christmas Day, i finally gave in to temptation, and went to the Christmas dinner party at K's uncle's house. Not only did i went out during my confinement, i also had a feast of non-confinement food for dinner. There was shepherd's pie, turkey, beef, salmon, tomatoes, log cakes, chips etc.. and i consumed them all.. haha.. Apparently, K's relatives are not that into the whole "confinement" thing at all. When his aunties heard i wasn't going to go to the party, they kicked up such a fuss.. One of them even said she was going to call me to persuade me to come. And it's barely 2 weeks since i gave birth. My mom would have screamed if she knew i stepped out of the house.. = )

The party was fun while it lasted.. And Bria was a super good girl throughout the night, sleeping and then waking up but not crying every now and then so the relatives can carry her and coo at her. But about 2 hours later, i started to get really tired and sleepy, and Bria must have felt the same way too cause she started to cry. I kept asking K to leave but it was difficult for him to cause firstly, the gift exchange had not started. Everyone was still singing karaoke and playing cards. Secondly, we needed to take a lift from our in laws who were not ready to leave at all. Plus, i think K was enjoying himself playing computer games with his cousins. So after waiting for another half an hour, i couldn't take it any more. So i went out to the living room and announced to the host that i would make a move first cause i was tired. I couldn't possibly use Bria as an excuse cause she had been well behaved the whole night. So i had to use myself as the reason for leaving.

The whole thing dragged for another half an hour after i said i wanted to leave. Cause then they started the gift exchange, then there was the whole swapping presents and taking home some left over food part, and the whole good bye to everybody part, before we FINALLY left. That night, K and I slept at 5am. For some reason, Bria ended up crying throughout the whole night and morning and we had to keep comforting her. Eventually, we got so tired that we let C take over the next shift and we slept. I was so exhausted I slept until 12pm the next day.

Over the weekend, Bria got better. But we still had to feed her the syrup to keep her drowsy and make her sleep. Today, we did not feed her the syrup at all, and she slept. after feeding She is such a drinker! I think she drinks much more milk than normal babies her age. I still don't have enough breast milk for her, so my formula milk is finishing super fast! My Bria is also very strong. At 2 weeks, she is already learning how to flip around when she is lying on her bed. We tried to put her to sleep on her tummy yesterday, and she could actually lift up her head and try to turn around. And the way she kick and wave her arms... my god.. so much strength this baby! Not sure if i should be worried.. = )

This morning, i was feeding Bria, and i noticed that her head has grown much bigger.. So much so that it is not proportionate to the rest of her body.. She looks like Tweety bird... haha.. I don't really like it. Hopefully the rest of her body will gain weight soon so she will look more "normal"..

I went out again today. Went grocery shopping with C at the newly opened NTUC near my place. I had been looking forward to it, but was so disappointed to find that it's only a small NTUC with no fresh meat and vegetables, just the usual dry goods that you find in 7-eleven and Cheers. In the evening, K and I drove out to Orchard road. He went to visit his customer while i shopped at the baby department at Tangs.. Both my sister and my mom called me while I was in Orchard. Lucky they never ask me why there's so much background noise.. haha.. Oh well, i guess i'm not really the type to be stuck at home for 1 whole bloody month! = )

K has already been to a Christmas BBQ party last weekend with the MX5 club folks, and on Christmas Day, he will be going for another party with his whole extended family..

One part of me really would like to go to the party. In fact, my mom in law has been nagging at K to bring Bria to the party. But both K and refused to. And that's making my mom in law really upset, cause she REALLY wants to show off her adorable grand daughter to everyone else.. = ) We just don't want so many people to touch Bria with their un-sanitized hands, and risk having her falling sick.. Plus she is still so tiny and only less than 2 weeks old, so the idea of bringing her to a big party (and me having to constantly breastfeed her during the party) just doesn't seem right for me.

SO.. it will be just me and baby at home on Christmas day.. I hope there are some nice shows on TV on Christmas!

I had my second last massage this morning.. The Jamu lady bathed Bria and told me that Bria's diaper rash had developed into blisters.. That got me so worried so we are bringing Bria to see a doctor tomorrow if it still doesn't get better..

This morning, i managed to hand express about 50ml of breastmilk! I am so happy! But Bria's diaper blisters kinda got me into a bad mood after that so i lost my temper for a while at K.. Sigh.. poor K.. = )

Actually, I've been really lucky.. I've had a super smooth pregnancy, an easy labor, and a beautiful baby with no colic, no jaundice, don't cry when her blood is drawn, and don't cry when she has diaper blisters. Plus, i have an excellent helper who does her best to take care of baby so i can sleep at night, and a wonderful hubby. I hope my good luck will last and Bria's blisters will go away, and i will have more breastmilk to pump!! = )

Today is Bria's due date.. But of course, my dear baby girl chose to come one week earlier, and on a much nicer date: 12/12/2009.

I had my first post-natal breakdown today. Breastfed Bria 3 times on each breast for nearly 2 hours till my arms ached, but she still kept crying and wanted more milk.. So I had no choice but to feed her formula.. As i watched her finished the whole bottle and then having a contented look on her face, i got really upset. And felt really useless that i cannot produce enough milk for her. Plus, for some reason, i feel that K is not spending enough time with Bria. Everytime she is awake and feeding, K is sitting in front of his computer.. Even on weekends when he doesn't have to work, he is sitting in front of his computer.. So i got really upset... To him, he paid money to hire a helper to take care of the baby, so he shouldn't be doing the work. But sometimes, i really wish that the person beside me when I am feeding Bria, singing to her and changing her diaper is my husband and not the helper...

Actually, i also don't know what i want.. K is already doing his best working hard to support the family. Plus, he does try to spend time with Bria and sing to her.. i guess i am just depressed that i don't have enough milk.. Plus, my dad fell down again today while he was going to the toilet. So my mom called to complain to me and ask me to help find a maid for him.. As if i am not busy enough already!! Can't believe they can't even spare me and let me rest during my confinement.. sigh.. = (

I had my first post natal massage on Friday.. The Malay Jamu lady came by my house, and gave me a full body massage, made me wore a super tight fitting girdle around my tummy, and did prepared a sauna for me to sit in for half an hour..

It was quite shiok, except for the fact that i had to lie on the floor for the entire massage, and my back nearly killed me.. I'm quite worried that my back has been permanently damaged after the pregnancy and being poked twice for my stupid epidural during labor. I can still remember my whole body shivering so violently after the epidural was administered. It's like worse than when I was in New Zealand on the ski slopes!

The Jamu lady also gave Bria her birth and a massage.. think Bria likes it, although i don't really approve of some of the ways she handled and bathed Bria... We also discovered she had diaper rash, so we gotta change her diaper more frequently nowadays..

Did my second massage yesterday. There seems to be some results showing, so hopefully i will only need 5-6 sessions. It's so bloody expensive! $60 for one session. Maybe I should go and learn the art and then do this part time.. Good $ leh! haha.. But i don't think anybody would want to have their massage done by a "non-auntie"..

C has been a great help these days, helping me take care of Bria at night so K and I can sleep. It's really bad for K cause he needs to work, but because i breastfeed Bria in the room at night, he has to sleep on the living room sofa to get his rest. And the sofa is not exactly an ideal place for a good night's rest. So he ends up feeling really tired in the day when he is working. Plus, i don't seem to have enough milk for Bria.. which is another thing that is making me really worried. Really don't want her to drink too much formula. This morning, i breastfed her 3 times until no more milk, but she was still hungry. So i gave her the bottle. I felt so incompetent when i see her finished the whole bottle of formula milk.. Sigh.. = (

I need to devote myself full time from now on to make sure i have more milk!!!

After a REALLY long and tedious process, K and I have finally decided on a Chinese name for Bria.

She shall be called 雪宁.

Which basically means "Pure as Snow" and "Calm & Peaceful". This will complement her name Bria, which means "Strong and Graceful." I like! = )

Finally, a name that the older folks can call her by.. Don't understand why it's so hard for some of them to pronounce her name properly.. In fact, even the younger folks can't pronounce it properly.. So difficult meh? I really hope Bria won't get make fun of in school because of her name.. Sigh..

In the first place, i don't think many of the relatives who came to visit me in hospital got her name. Heck, after 5 whole days, my mother in law can call this afternoon and ask K what her grand daughter's name was! = )

Ever since i started breastfeeding, i no longer feel that my breast is part of me.. It's like always on display! Half the time, i am walking around the house with my nipples showing, or with Bria latched on. That is all so super unsexy, but everytime i see Bria feeding, and the happy look on her face after that, i feel it is all worth it.. Even my super sore nipples! = )

I finally washed my hair today after going for the check up.. Buay tahan liao!! Tried prickly heat powdering my scalp but still not comfortable. They say washing hair during confinement will cause severe headaches for the mother in future. But K mentioned something that i thought was so true. Assuming I don't wash my hair for the entire 28 days of confinement. Does it guarantee me that i won't get severe headaches in future. Kinda of rubbish right?! So i went ahead and washed all i want. = )

Tomorrow I'll be having my first post-natal massage session with this Malay auntie. I'm getting quite excited about it, cause my tummy is looking more and more hideous by the day! Sigh.. i feel so NOT pretty these days.. = (

Bria had her first check up at the pedi clinic this morning. And for the first time, i packed our going out baby diaper bag.. Somehow i had a feeling that i forgot to bring something, and i really did. Forgot to bring Bria's health booklet.. and my clever C brought along an empty hot flask without my red date longan tea in it. So i was dehydrated for the 3 hours i was at the hospital.

I also realized I had nothing to wear to the clinic cause so far, all my breast feeding friendly clothes are front button pajamas. I ended up wearnig my front zip Adidas sports jacket, which was super short and exposed my super ugly tummy. = (

When we arrived at the pedi clinic, it was super crowded.. And full of children running around and babies crying.. The clinic is just beside my gynae's clinic, but the atmoshere is so so different. I bumped into Kelvin and Carol and their little boy at the clinic, and we chatted. Then about 2 more queue numbers to our turn, Bria woke up and i had to feed her in the nursing room. About half an hour later, we finally got to see the Pedi. Bria has gained weight, and doing well. She also had no jaundice. The pedi gave us a really useful booklet on all the common behaviors of a newborn, and i feel so relieved now. Apparently, the little pimples on Bria's face and head are normal. And her frequent hiccups and sneezing are normal too.

My Bria is so brave.. when they took her blood sample for the tests, she only cried for a while, and fell asleep after that. She's been quite a toughie so far = )

After the visit to the pedi, it was my turn at the gynae's. We waited for nearly 1 hour cause Dr Lim had a c-section going on. But once he arrived, i was the first person he attended to. It was the first time i didn't have to sort of "wait" for him at his clinic. I guess he felt guilty for going on leave when i had Bria. He actually apologized to me.. haha.. Anyway, everything's good for me too. Stitches healing well, and womb's recovering. I asked for some medicine for my flu and cough. Hopefully i will get well soon, cause the cough is really bothering me. Cause everytime i cough, it feels like my stitches are tearing below!

My mom in law came and pick us up from the hospital, and K bought my favourite fish porridge for my lunch. Bria was very good today. After the feed at the pedi clinic, she slept all the way until about 4plus 5. Had her bath and didn't cry at all. And now she is asleep again.. But C and I are bracing ourselves for tonight! Hopefully it will be better than the previous night!

They say being a mother is the toughest but most satisfying job a woman can have..

My first day of motherhood certainly wasn't easy for me.. Well, first of all, i wouldn't consider the first day of motherhood as the day Bria was born. Cause at the hospital, i get all the help i can from the nurses there.. So there's isn't much work to be done. But when baby goes home, it's a whole different story. But of couse, C helped me a lot.

Bria was very good during the day of my discharge. But during the night, she cried almost every hour until 8am in the morning. C and I had to keep getting up to breast feed her and soothe her. We both ended up not sleeping at all. I was exhausted, and still had not entirely recovered from my cough. And my stitches were hurting. I told K to buy milk powder the next morning. I was prepared for the same thing to happen again the next day. And deeply disappointed cause i had thought i would be able to survive the tolls of breastfeeding without using formula.

The second day at home was totally different though. At almost 1am, the non-stop crying started. I know my baby isn't the type to cry for attention. And wasn't about to adopt the whole "let the baby cry and don't spoil her" advice. So i tried really hard to think what could be wrong with her. But she wasn't hungry and her diaper wasn't soiled. Then C told me she suspect there is something wrong with Bria's nose cause she had heard some soft snorting noises coming out. Then i remembered K mentioned the same thing during the first night. So K tried to use the nose pump on Bria, and we managed to extract a huge chunk of goo-ey stuff from her nostril. Bria slept throughout the night for 7 hours straight after that = )

In fact, at 7 plus in the morning, she was still sleeping. I got so worried that she would be hungry that i woke her up to feed her. The rest of the day was pretty smooth.

Unfortunately, the whole sleeping for 7 hours thing didn't repeat itself yesterday. Bria woke up again like every 2 hours to either feed or poo and pee. C and I got so exhausted, and i kinda run out of breast milk. So the tin of formula was finally used, much to my disappointment. At one point, my stitches hurt so much from all the walking, and getting up and down over the last few nights that i couldn't get up from my bed. I had to communicate with C in the other room by shouting. Sigh.. if only she can sleep for 7 hours straight every night.. = (

I have never stayed in a hospital before in my entire life. So this is my very first hospital stay. First of all, i must say i really hate the drip. Every time i visit someone in hospitl with a drip, I've always shuddered at the thought of having a needle poked inside your vein for such a long time. So when i was told i would be put on a drip, i was really not happy. Plus, the stupid nurse kept moving my tube accidentally so the needle inside my vein kept shifting, and it was super painful.. In fact, because i had the epidural to numb my lower body.. the drip was the only thing that was causing me real RAW pain..

On the first day, it was just K and I in the morning.. and Bria of course.. i had my first try at breastfeeding, and it was as smooth as vanilla.. Bria is a natural.. = )

People started coming in the late afternoon and early evening.. My auntie and uncle, my in laws, my parents and some secondary school friends.. The next day, K's relatives came.. the whole gin gang, plus some folks from the MX5 club came by as well, more secondary school friends and a colleague of mine. We collected a whole lot of gifts for baby and me... = ) Although i was still part of the attention, it was inevitable that the focus of the attention shifted from the previously pregnant mummy to the new born baby.. = )

K didn't stay overnight cause we had a 2-bedder and there was no proper place for him to sleep. So I was alone. The first night, i watched Miss World 2009, and was later alone when my neighbour's water bag burst and she went into labor around 11plus. Breastfed Bria twice, once at 1130pm and another time around 4am. I had Donald for company, so actually, i wasn't really alone.. = ) Really regretted washing Donald a few days ago, cause he couldn't dry in time for me to bring into the labor ward with me.. That was what i had planned, cause i had read that i should pack in my hospital bag something that would comfort me during labor. Oh well.. Plus, now he feels so different after being washed.. So sad.. = (

The second night was pretty much the same rountine, except i spent some time packing up for my discharge the next day. Plus, by the second night, my neighbor came back, and the husband stayed with her overnight, although he's not supposed to. I couldn't sleep the whole night because of the husband. Cause he wasn't feeling well, and kept clearing his nose and throat throughout the night! Sigh.. Some people are just so inconsiderate..

I love the confinement food here! I've heard that Thomson is well known for their food, but i didn't know it was that good until i've had them myself. More importantly, i could FINALLY drink Milo.. the first sip i got during breakfast on the first day was just heavenly.. =)

I was discharged 2 days later. C came along to help carry all the things, and also to attend a breastfeeding and baby bath demonstration at the hospital with me. My mom in law came and pick us up from the hospital and stayed over for dinner to teach C how to cook my first confinement dinner at home.. It was a sumptous meal. If every meal is like this, i really don't mind doing confinement!

1 day after i adopted 2 of the 3 methods to bring on early labor, Bria arrived. Talk about effective methods!

I started showing signs of labor at 1 in the morning when my tummy started feeling weird and i had an urgency to crap. In fact, i crapped 3 times before K and I finally decided to go to the hospital. In the midst of all the crapping, i had a minor "bloody show", another sympton of labor. Contractions didn't really come until around 3 plus 4am. In fact, K and I were not even sure if they were contractions at first, cause it wasn't that painful, and I was too nervous and excited to remember all the stuff i read about contractions (how long they last and how often they should come etc.. ) We tried to call the number given by Dr. Lim in the event of labor, but got the emergency ambulance hotline instead. And his clinic was definitely not open at this hour, so that was out. So i got kind of frustrated cause K kept asking me if we should go to the hospital, and what are the characteristics of contractions before labor etc. All my months of research somehow went down the drain as i forgot everything when the contractions started getting more painful. In the end, K opened up his laptop to research on contractions while i sat on the toilet bowl and groan in pain.

We finally decided to head to the hospital after K called the hospital main line, told the nurse my symptoms, and was advised to go to the hospital immediately. As per my mother's prior advice, i quickly took a warm shower and washed my hair. Rationale being i won't be able to do that after i gave birth due to all the stupid confinement rules..

K called a cab and I was literally groaning and moaning loudly throughout the entire journey.. The taxi driver drove so fast.. i think he's worried i would give birth in his car.. haha.. We were lucky cause it was in the wee hours of the morning, so there was no traffic and we got to the hospital rather quickly.

Upon reaching the hospital around 4 plus, i somehow found the energy to get out of the car myself and walked to the reception. By then, i couldn't speak coherently at all, so i just continued to groan and moan loudly while K rushed to talk to the nurse, who in turn pointed us to the direction of the labor ward. Despite my intense pain, i actually had to climb up a flight of stairs to reach the labor ward cause that was the fastest and more direct way. Naturally, i was cursing under my breath as i climbed.

The entire process after that was pretty surreal. K and I waited inside a room while the nurses busied around. I was asked to change into the labor gown, pass urine etc.. I also had my cervix checked. It was 3cm. I screamed when the stupid nurse put her hand inside me cause that just upped the whole pain quotient to a whole new level. I was referred to by the nurses as the "patient in distress" cause i was groaning so loudly throughout!

I was transferred to the delivery ward shortly after, where I was told that i had to wait for another 7 more hours for my cervix to dilate to the required 10cm and i can start to push.. I had so many tubes running in and out and around me.. There was the drip, which i absolutely hated, the blood pressure measure, a tube for my urine, and god knows what else.. I was also given laughing gas to breathe while waiting for my epidural to come. I breathed until i felt the whole room spinning, but the pain was still unbearable for me. I could still remember somebody handling me a consent form to read and sign for the epidural. I couldn't even be bothered to read. In fact, i signed immediately and wanted them to get the hell on with it so i could get rid of the pain. I was jabbed twice for the epidural cause the stupid man couldn't find the right spot in my spine the first time round. Then i had to wait for like 10 minutes before i felt my lower body go numb and the pain subsided. After that, it was the waiting game. I still can't believe i had the epidural, especially after reading about how it is administered. But i guess it's true when they say the pain from contractions is 10 time worse that you won't even think about the pain from the epidural!

During the next 7 hours of waiting, K and I slept. Or at least, I tried, although i don't think i slept at all. I could still feel slight pain from the contractions, plus i could feel the stupid blood pressure wrap tightening around my right arm every half hour or so. And i was really worried because this stupid Dr. Lim was on leave, so I was going to have Bria delivered by another gynae whom i haven't even met before. I still can't believe he told me Bria won't arrive within the next 7 days!!

K stayed with me throughout the entire episode. In fact, he was so worried something would happen if he went away that he didn't drink water at all for fear of having to go to the washroom.. so sweet right.. = )

The nurses joked with him and asked if he would be able to watch the birth, cause they've had a big burly man fainting in the delivery room when the baby's born. The nurses actually left the poor man lying on the floor cause they had no time to attend to him! Of course, my brave husband went through it all without fainting. = ) He could even tell me (while counting) when he saw the baby's head coming out!

The real labor began at around 930am. By then i was 10cm dilated and the nurses came and assist me in the pushing. The first nurse was rather fierce. She scolded both K and I. Me for not pushing the right way, and K for not counting my breathing for me the right way. Because i had asked to increase the epidural dosage, i couldn't really feel so it was harder to push. Plus, i had not recovered completely from my flu and cough so i was kinda drained of energy. For the next 1 hour or so, the whole delivery room was full of noises. My constant groaning, K counting to 10 as i hold my breath, and the nurses repeating on and on: 1, 2, 3 PUSH...!!! = )

After about an hour, the nurses gave up and asked for the doctor to assist. I was asked if i wanted to use vacuum or forceps, but i was determined not to cause i wanted it to be as natural as possible. So i pushed. The doctor had me cut and minutes later, Bria came out crying. My placenta came out minutes after, which was pretty fast compared to what i had read. When the nurses placed Bria in my arms, i started to cry.. The feeling is really undescribable.. = )

After the doctor stitched me up and left, and the nurses were cleaning up the whole bloody mess, K and I sang Bria a birthday song.. The nurses smiled.

I was transferred to my ward shortly after with Bria beside me. And then there was the whole informing friends and relatives process and settling down etc..

Here are some photos to mark the most eventful experience of my life = )

More on Facebook!

My delivery room

Me with all the machines and tubes, waiting for Bria to arrive

The fruit of my labor.. K said her head looked like a papaya when she was born. = )

K and I spent nearly the whole day downtown today. I was basically tagging along with K on one of his customer and shop visits. K got an invitation to attend the official opening of HMV at 313 Somerset so i tagged along and went to 313 for the first time..

I had expected like a buffet spread at the opening but it was quite a disappointment. First of all, there was no buffet.. I had not taken lunch then and it was nearly 2pm.. All we got was a goodie bag with some lame stuff inside (2GB USB drive, HMV bear and $1 HMV voucher etc..) But there was a huge crowd gathered inside the store waiting for the special guest appearance of this Korean pop band called "T Max" or something. I don't even know who they are. So i walked around the DVD section and copied down all the interesting movies i can watch later on http://www.pipi.cn/ haha.. = )

By the time we were ready to leave the store, T Max had arrived so the staff there had sealed off the exit / entrance. So K and I got stuck inside the store for a while. And since i had nothing else to do, i decided to join in the crowd and waited to take pictures of T Max.. Didn't manage to get anything in the end.. (see second photo below) haha..

After the HMV extravanganza, K and I headed to the lobby and took pictures with Santa Claus and Santarina. The mall had arranged for free photo taking and instant photos (courtesy of Canon) for all shoppers, which i thought was really nice. Plus, for some reason, there was no queue!

We headed to Marche for my long awaited lunch after the photo taking.. Had ham and cheese crepe and rosti.. THAT was my first treat of the day... After being sick and staying at home for so many days and weeks, i was determined to myself and eat whatever i want. Plus, since i almost due, it doesn't really matter what i eat anymore.. hee hee..

After 313 Somerset was Central @ Clarke. There, while waiting for K to finish with his customer, i went and bought myself my favourite chocolate mini crossiant from Petit Provence. I had planned to get some Edamame to steam at home, but i couldn't find a decent Japanese supermarket that carries it. And i thought Central was aimed at the Japanese population in Singapore!

Our last stop was Marina Square... There, i had my last treat for the day while waiting for K: Chocolate and Banana nut ice cream on a cone from Andersen's.. It was kinda like i was eating to take revenge or something..

K and I went for Bria's check up in the morning today cause Dr. Lim came in early.. We still had to wait but at least the queue was not that bad..

Doc prescribed some medication for my flu, which had developed into a cough and sore throat over the last few days.. i even had a slight fever yesterday.. PLUS super itchy rashes on my feet.. It was horrible.. And as if things weren't bad enough, a huge zit appeared on my right cheek..

Doc did the usual scan, and told me that Bria wouldn't be due so soon, not at least within the next 7 days. He also mentioned to me that he would be going on leave the next day and back on Monday.. According to the ultrasound, Bria weighed about 3.3kg . That's 0.5kg heavier than her last check up 10 days ago.. Which made me a bit worried cause that's quite big, and she still has another 7 days to grow, which means she will be huge when she comes out! Huge = more painful labor.. While Bria gains weight, poor mummy lost 0.6kg due to my stupid flu = )

For the past few days, my wonderful helper (let's call her C) played a huge part in making sure i got well quickly. She made ginger tea for my flu, honey lime for my throat, and even offered to massage me every night before bedtime. If there is an award / contest for "Most Outstanding Helper", i will definitely nominate her! = )

After realizing that Bria now weighs 3.3kg, i started to worry about how difficult it would be to give birth to a huge baby.. While chatting online with G today, she mentioned something about her second baby weighing 3.2 kg also at 38 weeks, and how her midwife said she might have to go for c-section if the baby grows too big.. That kinda added on to what i was afraid of and made it worse.. = (

To ease my tension, G suggested 2 ways of bringing on early labor. I found a third method online.

I fell sick yesterday.. Woke up with a sore throat, and bad running nose.. kept sneezing throughout the day i thought i could die. Everytime i sneezed, my stomach contracts, so it really hurts.. But after an entire day of sneezing, it stopped hurting..

Poor Bria didn't move as much for the entire day yesterday cause Mummy was so weak and had to lie in bed the whole day. And what's worse is i can't even take medication for fear that it will affect Bria. So i basically just drank water and slept the whole day. In the evening, my helper made this really potent hot ginger tea for me. Super spicy man!

I had lots of trouble sleeping last night because of this stupid flu and sore throat. Plus, for some reason, the minute i lie down, i started burping non stop. So i had to get up several times.

Anyway, this morning i thought i felt better.. but now i'm starting to sneeze again, and feeling really weak and drowsy...

Sigh.. this is SO not a good time to fall sick. I really hope Bria won't come out anytime soon otherwise i won't have the energy to push her out.. = (

It's really ridiculous how i can fall sick despite staying at home like 95% of the time. So i blamed it on K, who have been down with flu as well for the past 1 week. It's the second time that he's passed the virus to me, the first being the stomach flu virus, which caused me to vomit for the first time throughout my entire pregnancy.. and now this flu virus.. Sigh.. really wish he can take better care of himself.. He's been working and sleeping late everyday, not eating well etc.. I really need him to be healthy as well, not just me! =(

On Saturday, i went to Sentosa with K and my father in law for his company's family day.

Last year, we also went to Sentosa, and got free admission to the underwater world. But this year, there was no free admission to anything. Guess everyone's cutting costs these days!

It was quite boring cause everybody just basically hang around the tentage area waiting for the free lunch and the lucky draw. There was tug of war, and this item on the agenda called "Dunk the bosses" which i had fun watching. They basically set up this inflatable tub and fill it up with water, then have the boss sit above the tub with a lever attached to his seat. This lever has a round red metal plate at the end, and for $10, you get 3 balls to throw and try and hit the red plate so the boss falls into the water. All proceeds go to charity. I had a good laugh watching this guy fall into the tub several times in a row. Most of the time, kids get to throw, and if they miss the first 2 times, the MC will move them so close to the red plate that it was a 100% hit. But if they still miss the third time, somebody will still push the plate manually and dunk the boss. haha.. =) It's kinda good to know there are so many sporting bosses around (think they had 5 or 6 to take turns) who are willing to do this for charity.. = )

After a while, K and I got bored, so we left and drove around the island while my father in law chatted with his colleagues and waited for the lucky draw. We went to the Merlion, took some pictures, drove past the upcoming Resorts World and Universal Studio sites, and back. We waited nearly 2 hours for the whole thing to be over.. K and I won't usually stick around for lucky draws, but my in laws have a reputation of always winning something at lucky draws so we stuck around. And sure enough, my father in law got the 6th prize - $150 Tangs voucher. = ) It's really freaky how they ALWAYS win something at lucky draws!

After the carnival, we headed to the new Mazda showroom at Alexandra to check out the new MX-5 NC model. I still prefer our current model = )

By the time we got back home at 2pm, i was hungry and exhausted (as usual). K brought me out for dinner at "Out of the Pan" at Raffles City in the evening. We ordered the Xmas set, which included 2 ham and cheese and mushroom crepes, 2 fruity drinks, and dessert - some creme brulee with ice cream and crepe. Nothing fantastic for the price we paid!

On Sunday, we met up with some folks from the MX-5 club for Kueh Chup lunch at Ang Moh Kio.. There's a coffee shop there that sells one of the best Kueh Chup i've tasted.. = )

There were 6 couples there, and we waited for nearly an hour for everyone to arrive before we could order. By then i was starving.. There was plenty of the usual chit chatting about cars and my pending delivery, and the upcoming Christmas party on the 20th Dec. They said if i go into labor during the party, the whole convoy of more than 20 MX-5s will drive me to Thomson! haha, now THAT would be cool ! = )

K and I stayed home for the rest of the day. My helper made dinner, we watched 2 shows on www.pipi.cn, and turned in for the night. What a weekend!

Last Friday was Sis's birthday. Earlier in the morning, i popped by this florist at Eunos MRT and arranged for a bouquet of sunflower with a baby pooh bear and a little red "Happy Birthday" cushion heart to be delivered to her office. The pooh bear is supposed to be me.. = )

In the evening, i met up with her for dinner. Apparently, there's this new Japanese restaurant called Tonkichi at Tampines Mall, and she wanted to try it.. But the food was nothing spectacular. They were known for their black pork cutlet, but neither of us were fans of black pork, so we ordered the usual tempura soba and teriyaki sashimi sets.. Halfway through our dinner, Sis asked a waitress if her set included chawamushi (cause she wasn't sure). The waitress nodded and almost immediately brought over a bowl of chawamushi. Seconds later, she was confronted by one of her female colleagues (apparently someone more senior than her). This female colleague asked the poor waitress sarcastically, right in front of me and my sister: "My table got chawamushi set meh? Open your eyes big and see properly ok!" To which the poor waitress responded by apologizing and taking away the chawamushi from our table..

Sigh.. some people are just so narrow minded.. She shouldn't have done all that right in front of the customers and embarrass the poor girl.. The sad thing is, this girl is also very young herself. But just because she is more senior, she behaves like this..

Anyway, after dinner, we went shopping for clothes. We finally ended up in this little store called "Cache" in Tampines One. There was a sale going on so there were a lot of people in the store. I went in with my sister, but didn't last long inside. After being elbowed by a middle aged auntie who didn't even apologize, i told my sister i will wait outside the store for her.

K came to pick me up shortly after around 930pm.. I was already exhausted by then.. = )

I got so freaked out yesterday when i got an sms from my colleague that his wife just gave birth..

I've been keeping in touch with his wife for the past few weeks and on and off throughout my pregnancy, cause our due dates were really close to each other. And we are both having girls.

We were even supposed to meet up for lunch next week. Her due date is on 18 Dec, while mine's 21 Dec. So when i got the sms yesterday that she had popped, i got so nervous. Cause it means it'll be my turn very soon..

K didn't help when he said Bria will arrive in 3 days time this Sunday, since my due date is 3 days apart from hers. Then after that, he "redeemed" himself by reassuring me that tens of thousands of women have done it for centuries so everything will be just fine.. =)

I really can't imagine how my labor will be like. But as each day passes, i just get more and more nervous la!

On Tuesday, K brought me out for ice-cream after dinner at home.. We drove to "Ice cream chefs" in East Coast, and ordered a pint of chocolate hershey's and vanilla ice cream with cornflakes mixed in. Super shiok!! There's still some left in the fridge.. Will gobble it up later today =)

K and I were out the whole day.. In the morning, we went to Tuas to return some samples, then drove to JB (since we were so near) to wash car and pump petrol.. After that, we went to Woodlands for my favorite fish ball noodles. Turned out it wasn't that nice after all. I think they changed the cook, and the one at Bedok North hawker center is much nicer.

After lunch, we went to Vivocity cause K wanted to do some work at the bookstores.. I had a quick window shop in La Senza while waiting for K, and saw this really cute pair of pajamas with sheep prints on it.. Was so tempted to buy it so i can wear for my confinement. But it was like $45 for the whole set. I can buy similar PJs for $15 at People's Park!

When K was done, we headed to Marche for some banana waffles with ice-cream (another craving i had). But they didn't serve waffles any more, only crepes. And ice-cream was mint (K's favourite.. it was a compromise!). Plus, K had to add in raisins and forced me to eat it, so in the end i didn't really enjoy the dessert... = (

Dinner was at my in laws place.. had home made meat dumplings, and a long long chat with my parents in laws about the baby, our new house, the car, and the stock market. We then left and drove to ta pau supper: Fried hokkien noodles in black sauce from Fatty Weng's, another of my cravings! That was the only craving yesterday that was completely satisfied. = )

B and J came over to my place for dinner and Mahjong yesterday. Seemed liked ages since i had a "party" and some noise over at my house, so it was really nice. I (or rather my helper) made dinner and i think B enjoyed his dinner a lot.. = ) First time i've prepared home cooked Chinese dinner for 2 good friends.

We had fresh pears over Mahjong, chatted and laughed.. Although i lost again in Mahjong (think my preggers luck is running out), i'm still pretty happy for the company.. Will try and arrange another session this weekend.

My helper is getting rather good at cooking these days. She even made Sushi for lunch 2 days ago! Didn't know i am such a good cooking teacher.. haha ! I guess supervising someone and cooking the dishes myself makes a whole lot of difference! = )

K and I went for Bria's check up on Monday evening.. We were the last couple again, so the wait was not long. = )

I've gained another 500grams since my last check up 10 days ago.. Grand total weight gain: 10kg! As for my baby, she's gained another 200g and now weighs about 3kg according to Dr. Lim.. Scary! 3kg is like a little big loh! And she's still 3 weeks away from her due date! Good thing is, Dr. Lim says Bria is growing very well. Plus, she's now in the Anterior position, facing my spine (an easier position for birth) = )

During the check up, Dr. Lim saw my swollen feet, and advised me to get more rest. He also admonish the saying that swollen feet indicates the arrival of the baby. Once again, so much for old wives' tales! I was puzzled when he asked me to get more rest though, cause i've been doing nothing but rest at home for the past few weeks! Plus, this was not the first time he had asked me to get more rest during my check ups. So i asked him, and he explained that i needed more BED rest, and sitting down at home doesn't count. I needed to lie down more so my feet will get better and my baby will get more oxygen. So des ne!

Problem is, I'm not really an afternoon nap person, although i know i will appreciate all the bed rest i can get once the baby is born! So what i do is i will try and watch all my movies on my laptop in bed, half lying down. I am already bored enough at home, can't imagine having to lie in bed and try to sleep everyday!

This time, i dreamt of Bria. It's the first time ever that i've actually dreamt of her. We were inside a taxi, on the way home from the hospital after my discharge. I was holding her in my arms and talking to her.. In my dream, Bria was a really happy baby, smiling all the time. = )

But there was something wrong with her.. she had really really short legs. Cause she has this bone density loss problem.. And when we alighted from the taxi and walking along this bus stop, i dropped her on the pavement, and her umbilical cord fell off!! Fortunately, she was unhurt, and still smiling despite the fall. But the whole dream is SOOO weird, and SCARY!